So-Good Slow-Cooker Recipes

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Chuck roasts come out so tender in the slow cooker, and this cheaper cut of meat is easy on the budget. For dinner, spoon the beef onto hoagie buns and top with provolone, onions and peppers, then pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Potato, bacon and cheese--all the flavors you love in a bowl of soup! The American cheese keeps the soup from curdling while it slow cooks. Mashing cooked potatoes a bit gives the soup some body, while the bacon adds a smoky-salty taste.

Swiss-Artichoke Dip

Artichoke hearts, dried tomatoes and sauce combine for a rich, creamy dip. Our recipe calls for processed Swiss cheese because it melts smoothly, but regular Swiss cheese will work fine, too. The dip will have a more stretchy, less creamy texture, but it tastes just as good.

Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

Mix a can of cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, veggies and rice mix for the soup base. Any boneless cooked chicken works in this recipe, but chicken thighs, with more moisture from fat, slow-cook the best.

Cranberry Pork Roast

Carolyn Sinclair of Grey Eagle, Minnesota, received this pork roast recipe from her son for her family cookbook. "When I serve it, I almost always have to give out the recipe," she says. "The tangy gravy is a good complement to pork."

Aunt Bonnie's Taco Soup

This easy soup, full of beef and beans, is sure to become a top choice at your dinner table, as it is with Vicki Johnson of Hallsville, Missouri. We like to top it with a generous dollop of sour cream and serve with salsa and chips (left).

Debra Atkinson of Ames, Iowa, sent us another hearty slow-cooker soup recipe, Mexican Chicken Chowder. "When I first began to use my crockery cooker, I thought, 'Oh no, I AM my mother,'" she says. "Now, I couldn't get along without it!"

Beefy Chili Dogs

The Coney Island Lunch Room in Grand Island, Nebraska, has served its all-American chili dog since 1933. In honor of this Cornhusker State edible institution, we cooked up Beefy Chili Dogs. Stewing the hot dogs in the seasoned meat mixture makes them extra juicy. Top them with cheese.

Buffalo Oven Stew

The Earl family makes buffalo their business at Siouxland Buffalo in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Buffalo meat, also called bison meat, tastes a lot like lean beef. The Earls recommend cooking the meat slowly over low heat. Their oven stew is a prime example.

Slow-cooker tips

BROWNING MEAT isn't necessary before adding to the slow cooker, unless you prefer the flavor and look of browned meat. The exception: Brown ground meat to prevent clumping and to drain fat.

A SLOW COOKER works most efficiently when it's half- to three-fourths full. That's because
the heat comes from coils around the sides of the pot, rather than the bottom. When using a recipe, make sure it's sized for your cooker.

UNPLUG BEFORE CLEANING your slow cooker and never immerse the cooker or the cord in water. If there's a removable insert, you can wash it in the dishwasher. Or use disposable plastic slow-cooker liners for easy cleanup.

TO COOK A ROAST use a bigger slow cooker with 5- to 6-quart capacity, or cut meat to fit.